If wasn't long after Kesi sent them out to the Imperial Kitchen that Little Seven and A'Hong returned with the food rations for the day.
"Remember to ask for a bottle of alcohol. This is the first day that we have all met in this Eastern Palace, and that should be a cause for celebration," Kesi had reminded the two servants before they left. "And the stronger the alcohol, the better."
Suddenly remembering that Mu Luming was around as well, she ammended her statement. "Add a separate jar of fruit juice as well!"
Despite their questioning looks, they ultimately listened to her words, lifting a giant kettle of rice wine that was half their size as well as a little bottle of pomegranate juice as they returned.
Mu Luming had set out to familiarize himself with the new residence, so he couldn't see the great effort that the servants had spent hauling the vessels up to the table.
A'Hong set the table with silence, still a bit shook after seeing the images in the mirrors. Meanwhile, Little Seven awkwardly filled nondescript clay cups with alcohol, uneasy from the tense atmosphere in the room.
"Up to the brim, kids," Kesi motioned for her to continue pouring past the halfway mark. "That's not even enough for someone half of your size."
Little Seven did as she was told, not even trying to object to the nanny's strange requests.
So, the sight that greeted Mu Luming after his quick exploration of the Eastern Palace was a strange one.
There was a half chopped up square wooden table that appeared more to be a former Mahjong stand instead of a dining table. Kesi had tried her best cleaning up the dust when she salvaged the table from the ruins, but there was still a long scratch along its surface.
On it were a few dishes, each the strangest colors and textures. A murky bowl of pitch black that turned out to be a steamed eggplant dish upon closer examination. A neon pink plate of pork meat that looked to be fake altogether. A yellowing set of steamed buns…
In addition, in front of each set of utensils was an overbrimming cup of rice wine, or juice in the case of Mu Luming, full to the point that any slight movement would send the liquid spilling down the sides of the cup.
"Let's enjoy our first meal together," Kesi nodded, a warm smile on her face as she sat down.
By introducing herself and sitting down before the Crown Prince, she was stepping out of line. This way, the Empress would know from her little curious birdies that Nanny Rong was doing what she was intended to do — be a bad influence and a useless palace rules instructor for the Crown Prince.
"Please sit," Mu Luming nodded as well, gesturing to the two remaining empty seats after he plopped himself into one right across from Kesi.
Seeing them not move, he added, smiling brightly "I insist!"
There was only silence.
"Don't make me give this as an order from the Crown Prince!" Waving his tiny fists into the air, Mu Luming repeated his demands.
Exchanging uncertain glances at one another, Little Seven and A'Hong ultimately settled into their chairs. From the way they shifted so uncomfortable in their seats, the unknowing observer would have surely thought that their buttocks rested against a bed of nails.
Never in their lives had they thought of ever sitting as an equal to even the lowest members of royalty, much less the future heir of the entire empire.
"You both look so uncomfortable. Let's have a toast to change that!" Beaming, Kesi raised her cup. But as she had expected, her wrinkled hands shook violently as she lifted the cup into the air. And by the time the clay vessel reached her mouth, there were only a few drops left of alcohol in it.
Pretending not to realize, she put the drink to her mouth and then lifted it backwards to show that nothing was left in the cup.
"It's your turn!" Beaming, she motioned to the others to finish their drinks as well. "I'm an old lady, so I can spill some. But the rest of you have to finish the entire thing! Otherwise, there will be punishment!"
Hesitantly, Little Seven and A'Hong forced the brimming cup of alcohol down their throats, while Mu Luming eagerly drank the pomegranate juice.
But unluckily, a few drops slid down the sides of A'Hong's drink.
"What shall the punishment be…" In mock-threat fashion, Kesi looked each and every one of them in the eye.
Scratching her scalp in make-belief surprise, she looked as if a lightbulb suddenly switched on on top of her head.
"Oh, I know! Let's play a game!"
Eagerly, she explained the rules of Truth or Dare to the other three, especially the part where the person sitting clockwise from another individual could dictate the question. With wide eyes, they nodded in response to some of the examples that Kesi had provided.
"And any false statements that you make will be considered an offense against the imperial family, and we don't want any of those, do we?" Mu Luming added, offering a supportive smile to Kesi.
"Ready?"
Without waiting for a reply, she turned toward the little eunuch, A'Hong.
"Truth or dare?"
After a few eye rolls, his words were clear: "truth."
In mock thought, Kesi pretended to rack her mind for a few minutes. "How about the reason you came into the palace?"
There was a dark cloud within his eyes.
"My family could not support both me and by brother, so my father had sent me to the palace to earn wages for the family."
Looking down, he began picking at a scab.
All the details in Kesi's brain began to rearrange, such that they were optimally pieced together to form a complete picture.
This man's main pathway to salvation was his family, and the only question would be how exactly. But that could be an easy step for the next question.
"Is it your turn, Nanny Rong?" Little Seven asked, a flicker of excitement dancing across her otherwise stoic face.
"I dare you to try to enter the Empress's quarters alongside the Crown Prince."